Category: Doug Underhill

Really Dougie?

I wanted to take a minute to clear up some comments being spread like manure on a couple of random sites.  First up is Doug Underhill’s comment to a gentleman on Nextdoor.

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Now I can’t see this normally because I’m not a member of this neighborhood forum, but thankfully someone who is a member forwarded it to me. So I would like to say “bravo” to Chad Swan for calling out Dougie. I also wanted to set the record straight, that even if I am “certifiably crazy”, so what? Does that make anything I said about him wrong? Does he even assert that I am wrong? No.  If that is the worst he can come up with,  that’s pretty weak.

Dougie, adults know that when one adult helps another adult, there doesn’t have to be any carnal longing. Maybe in your world that’s the way you see things but most people know men can help women and women can help me without there being any sexuality involvement.  Doing the right thing without anything to gain cannot be reduced to sexual affection. The two are not even on the same ethereal plane. As for my “hate” of Morgan, I wouldn’t use that word. “Hate” has an overly emotional connotation. I would use the word “antipathy” or “animus”.  What is someone suppose to think or feel about a real life evil person who victimizes people on the regular?

But the biggest irony of your statement, Dougie, is that your ad hominem attack directs the other guy to “try to stick to the facts”.  The fact is you are a dick and you treat people like shit. That was the discussion at hand. Focus, Dougie, you can’t accuse him of falling off the logic path when you are ass end over a tea kettle off the side of the road.

Your comments parrot the anonymous poster on LEO affairs. Most likely it is Eric Haines’s minion or perhaps Haines himself.  Either way I find infinitely amusing that you and he both ruminate on me. Funny, I really don’t think about you at all until your next big gaff  in pissing off your constituency.  The fact I’m in your grey matter, with all the shit you are juggling, and I do mean shit and the worst thing you can say about me is a lie, it pleases me to no end. It also validates the work I do.

In a back-handed way, you paid me a compliment. Please proceed to disparage me. It just proves me right.

 

Russian Roulette in Escambia

Public safety in Escambia County is officially a joke. EMS is falsifying certification, failing to train EMT’s. The fire department well, that is a known issue. They both fall under Public Safety in Escambia County.

In the past several days, Escambia County has seen changes in personnel at the management level. After some rumbling about poor leadership and questionable management practices individuals at the top levels are gone. The employees spoke out and received some well-deserved attention. The Escambia County Professional Firefighters, the representing union, took the initiative to act against labor practices that caused the employees to lose confidence in the leadership. The union brought attention to the problems that plagued the employees. The result was favorable to the employees and those performing inadequately in leadership positions are no longer hindering progress of those simply doing the job they are being paid to do.

The recent news is refreshing to many in other parts of the county working for inept leaders. The Escambia County Sheriffs Office is another example of a county agency void of effective leadership. The ECSO has been under the microscope for some length of time. Complaints of LET fund mishandling to numerous lawsuits of misconduct or mistreatment of employees are at a high never seen by any other Sheriff in this county.

The Northwest Florida Police Benevolence Association, the representing union for ECSO employees, could learn some moves from Professional Firefighters. If some action was taken by PBA to expose the corrupt practices that have become so common at the ECSO. The employees could work again with some degree of confidence the leadership had the ability to effectively lead the agency. Exposing the corruption would place in the open how ineffective and destructive David Morgan has been during his time as Sheriff.

The PBA was criticized during the budget debacle in 2018. Eric Haines used the leverage a raise would have on officers and open a contract that was not due to be negotiated. Haines lied to the BOCC and to any citizen that he tried to sway to his side of the argument. Haines was aware he could use the raise to strong arm the union. He didn’t care about the deputies getting a raise. He wanted to spend someone else’s money to achieve a diabolical goal of stripping the contract PBA had negotiated.

Haines argued continuously that the main problem facing the ECSO was officer retention. The truth is poor leadership is the cause of officers leaving the agency. The numbers do not show that the pay increase helped ECSO retain officers. The mass departure of experienced officers to other agencies continues to burden Haines. The main cause of failed leadership practices is the person that can determine the solution and there would be little expectation of Haines firing himself. He still believes he was an actual cop.

The Firefighters had less reason to complain than the officers at the ECSO. It is public knowledge that a Federal Judge has determined in a court decision that Haines had a bias toward female employees. It would be reasonable to believe that Haines should be removed from his position and Morgan should be investigated by the Governor. Any person in a leadership position should not be bias toward male or female. It is either ignorance or arrogance for Morgan to ignore the opinion found in court documents concerning Haines unprofessional behavior toward females. Morgan has the ultimate ability and a sworn duty to protect employees from predators like Haines.

The PBA should understand that sitting back playing catch up is not proven to be the best plan to achieve success. The ECSO has an observable history, with Morgan and Haines at the helm, that would demonstrate an absence of conscious and ability to take the agency into the future. The employees have the right to be protected by the union. The dues payments of the employees are for the purpose of job protection and PBA is responsible to attempt to provide that protection. All employees should call on the President of PBA to form a plan and seek a path that is best for employees. It can be done and was just proven to be an achievable goal by Professional Firefighters.

Kudos to the Firefighters for having the courage to make your own path and demand the leadership your professional talents deserve. Now the ECSO should be next to be evaluated, perhaps by the Governor as Doug Underhill suggested.

The most ironic part of that suggestion is that if the Governor does get involved it will be the entirety of local government that will be investigated including Underhill, who has been caught inappropriately using grant money to the tune of over $2m from the feds and state. He was asked to repay the money back to the county because he usurped money that he was not entitled to.

Bottom line, when you call 9-1-1, you are taking a huge risk of getting an inexperienced, poorly trained first responder, be it EMT, firefighter, or deputy. This is what the county is today.

Truth about “Personal Vendettas”

I want to address the fallacy spouted on Escambia Citizen’s Watch group on Facebook, aka JUECW or the Jackie Rogers Hate Group. Melissa Pino has been characterized as pursuing a personal vendetta after she told Doug Underhill she was coming for him. Let me explain this to the layperson that believes this is just a “personal vendetta”. There is a fortified, adulterated effort to pervert and abuse the processes of the county to secure personal gain either by political capital (favors in the wing) or subverted contributions to PAC’s or personal campaigns. This aligned effort by some of those in politics, like Underhill, Sheriff Morgan and Bill Eddins (Curtis Golden-light) are bought and paid for and act in there own best interest rather than honoring their oaths of office.

In full view of the public, this bunch act brazenly. They hide very little. Underhill subverts information for his own gain, such as the Seafarer incident, gating a public access beach, bought for the purpose of public access. Underhill also fixes fraud that he and his business partner, Morgan Speranzo committed via the contracting laws. When called on the illegal action, by me, he doctored the paperwork by telling people it didn’t happen and having the paperwork “adjusted” to fit an implausible circumstance, he claims happened.

Sir David became a millionaire on a public servant’s salary while his department went to hell in a handbasket. No one is safer since this man took his oath. Oh and let’s not forget the LET money he bought his reelection with, to the tune of $2million over 4 years.

Eddins showed his colors with the medical examiner recently, going against the county’s stance on Dr. Minyard’s bloated salary. Eddins supported Minyard when she is clearly replaceable. She was forced to step down twice in her career for incompetence. Failure to do paperwork (kind of essential in the Medical Examiner field) was her main flaw. While this sounds harmless, it is far from it. Imagine something happens to your loved one, and while, in Minyard’s care, personal items or autopsy reports are not accounted for or are missing. Also, imagine your loved one was possibly murdered, if the police say they suspect suicide, she concurs, when there may not be evidence to that effect because it lessens her case work.  Now imagine her taking home in excess of $500K for treating your loved one, with such disregard. Now imagine the State Attorney of the 1st Judicial Circuit is throwing his weight behind this woman, against all logic.

My point is that if someone says publicly, “I’m coming for you” to one of these corrupt officials, it is plight with little recognition or support (publicly) and is, in and of itself, an albatross.  There is nothing personal about this sort of targeting. In fact, if law enforcement were not so impotent, they would be targeting these individuals also, and that would not be considered a “vendetta”.

I have said to Sheriff Morgan via this blog that I am coming for him and hell’s coming with me. I set my sights on Morgan because I believe he is the most dangerous and most psychopathic of them all (Underling being a step behind and Eddins being merely a puppet working at the behest of his benefactors). Morgan has single handedly ruined more lives within his agency as he has outside his agency. He has neither the capability nor the psychological capacity to hold the position he was elected to steward. The evidence is in the public records, not the statistics, because there are deputies that will explain to you how they were directed to alter levels of crimes for the purpose of skewing the stats. Sexual assault is the tell-tale statistic. Currently, Frank Forte is giving gift cards for tickets written…highly unethical and probably illegal. But why should that be a factor for a law enforcement agency.

Predators on the community should be dealt with by the agencies designed to police them within the system, but since that is broken in this county, it falls on individuals with the moxie to stand up and name their target. Any bricks taken out of the wall of corruption, makes the others weaker. Divide and Conquer is my motto. While these men are not the true threats as much as puppets for those who are, pulling back the curtain is the mission. I hope Morgan, Underhill and Eddins know you can’t beat someone who doesn’t stop fighting. Melissa and I are ready for the long haul.

 

~~Trouble in Paradise~~

Over the last few days, I have been contacted about the dissolving relationship with Underhill and Sir David Morgan. Now, I had to question this because history tells me that they are thick as thieves (ironic because they are thieves).  I had to acknowledge no pro-Underhill support publicly lately and after being contacted numerous times with the same information, I have to concede that it is plausible.  As have been told, repetitively, Morgan approached a political opponent of Underhill’s to give him a private pat on the back and let the opponent know he was distancing himself from Dougie. The Sheriff was heard saying something to the effect of Doug being too politically toxic and Morgan could not let Doug drag his name down.

That sounds like something that a malignant narcissist like Morgan would say. Morgan is so Machiavellian with people he doesn’t want to be associated with like Arety, Doug should watch for he dagger in his back. But ultimately, this bodes well for the community that these too cancerous forces should diverge.  So whether it’s just speculation, innuendo or just a rumor, people are talking about it.  Perception is all that matters blacklisted doug

Double-Talking Underling

Underhill (aka Underling) posted this in Escambia Clan Watch regarding the county settlement with a woman discriminated against by the Fire Chief.

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My question would be if the Commissioner believed the words–the above words–should apply to all people employed by the county?

His political bromance with Morgan colors his judgment to the fact of what kind of “leader” his buddy is to his staff.  The “Honorable” Commissioner’s attention should be turned to the article by Dr. James Scaminaci on May 26, 2016, GENDER AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE ECSO IS NOT A JOKE.

There are 5 lawsuits discussed while, in actuality, there have been MANY other instances and MANY other lawsuits.  Rhonda Ray, Jacquelyn Gulley, Laura Montoya, Beyanca Cannon, Mindy Pare. All gender discrimination and at least 3 are racial discrimination. If Chief Grace was so wrong for his actions in the Fire Department, why isn’t the same action on a much bigger scale worthy of looking into?

As Scaminaci says:

“I think that when you find that five different women at five different times complaining of racial and/or gender discrimination and they are then subjected to retaliation via Internal Affairs investigation (or other investigation or near-immediate termination), then I believe you have the factual basis to conclude that there may be a pattern and practice of creating a hostile work environment for women of color (and women), a pattern and practice of racial and/or gender discrimination, and a pattern and practice of retaliation against those very same women. “

Another line in Scaminacis’s article says it all. “Once a woman files a complaint to protect their rights, dignity, and career, it appears that the full force of the office of the Sheriff is dedicated to beating these women down into submission.”

On top of the injury created by the Sheriff in these cases, Underling provides the insult by putting the Fire Chief’s victim on a pedestal while the 5+ women in the ECSO, just lose their reputation, their careers, their chance to be what they are called to be….COPS. How much is that worth?

 

 

Ethics, Schmethics

Last week Commissioner Doug Underhill was cleared in his ethics complaint by the Florida Ethics Commission. They did not find anything unethical in a representative of a county, a public servant, asking for hand outs from his constituency for a defamation suit, resulting from talking smack about a political opponent.  In the most bizarre stretch of the tenants of ethics, there is nothing, even remotely, of which resonates this as an  ethical decision.  The taxpayers did not make the comments for which the Commissioner was sued over, nor would any greater good benefit anyone but the mouthy Commissioner.

So I did some research into who is making the decisions of ethics in the state of Florida.  What I found explains everything.

Before going into the composition of the commission,  here is what their statement of purpose is:

The Commission is created by Sections 112.320 and 112.321, Florida Statutes, and is
governed by Article II, Section 8(f) and (h), Florida Constitution, which authorizes it to investigate complaints alleging breach of the public trust by public officers and employees.

They also have the authority to:

  • Investigate complaints alleging possible violations of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees , to accept referrals from the Governor, State Attorneys, U.S. Attorneys, or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ,
  • Render opinions about the applicability of the Code of Ethics to investigate and render opinions about possible violations of the standards of conduct for members of the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Commission Nominating Council to investigate and render opinions about possible unlawful use of public funds to lobby ,
  •  Grant a hearing on the petition of a public officer or employee who has been accused of a possible violation of the Code of Ethics to investigate complaints from the Comptroller of possible misuse of State vehicles  to register executive branch lobbyists, receive their compensation reports,
  • Investigate and render opinions concerning possible violations of the lobbyist law, and review and waive in whole or part late filing penalties for executive branch lobbyists to promulgate and disseminate forms for complying with the financial disclosure laws and other provisions of the Code of Ethics  to grant extensions of time for filing disclosures to receive and file financial disclosure, gift disclosure, and honorarium event-related expenses disclosure forms  to review and waive in whole or part late filing penalties for persons filing financial disclosures,
  • Garnish wages or initiate wage withholding for persons who fail to pay their financial disclosure fine and to investigate officials who fail to file entirely,
  • Impose costs and attorney’s fees on complainants who filed complaints with a malicious intent to injure the public official’s reputation ,
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for possible forfeiture of retirement benefits by public officers and employees who have committed felonies involving a breach of the public trust ,
  • Seek to void contracts violative of the Code of Ethics, to adopt procedural rules and rules interpreting the ethics laws , and to recommend that the Governor enforce the ethics laws in court .

This is what the Florida Ethics Commission has the power to do.

The people who have this expansive power are a collective group composed in accordance with the Florida Statutes. The intent of how the commission is filled is supposed to negate any alliance or political manipulations. If this collection of people are not politically connected to anyone, they stay objective–in theory.

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The above graphic shows the 8 people on the Ethics Commission. My question was if any of these fine people had a political dog in this decision with Mr. Underhill.

First off, 5 of the 8 went to the famous Levin Law School,  Michelle Anchors, Jason Berger, Guy Norris, Matthew Carson & Kimberly Bonder Rezanka.  Michelle Anchors was appointed by Don Gaetz. 

Those two names, Levin & Gaetz tell you all you need to know about this commission.  Five members of the panel are at the dispose of political sway of Levin. One has Levin & Gaetz. Dr. Brady has a special interest in keeping Escambia County happy because of PACE Center for Girls. Morgan has funded that to the hilt with the LET money. Who wouldn’t be swayed by that?

In just this bit of research, 6 of the 8 Florida Ethics Commission members show that, unless either Morgan or Underhill is screwing a goat in town square, they will turn a blind eye. Their political careers depend on it.

Doug Underhill: Captain Contrary

Thursday’s vote by the BOCC to require 50% of LET Funds to be used for school security had only one dissent, Captain Contrary, aka Doug “Underling” Underhill. Quelle surprise!

Dougie likes to say he is for “a new way of thinking” in Escambia County, but actions pack a stronger punch. His actions are in support of GOB. He voted the crony line without a legitimate or reasonable rationale. How is protecting our kids not in the best interest of the county?  Captain Contrary believes we should not protect kids but instead,  help the public image of the ECSO.  WTF?

There is no legitimacy to the open cronyism shown in this vote. Those of us who pay attention see the pattern. If Bergosh votes for it, Underhill will vote against it. It doesn’t even matter what the issue is, Underhill has to back his political Godfather, Sir David.  It is blatantly obvious the county’s best interest is lost to the Morgan-Underhill alliance.

I will acknowledge that I have no love for Morgan and Underhill, but it is clear that over the past 5+ years, my message has been consistent–there is soul-sucking corruption in Escambia County and it begins at the ECSO & Sir David.

I have been labeled a “lunatic”,”lone nut” and even a “political terrorist” by the Good Ole Boys (Underhill & Morgan). However, over the past few years, we’ve seen Morgan waste countless dollars putting his face on everything from billboards to movie screens. This money did not deter crime nor did it even improve the safety of neighborhoods.  Morgan’s use of county funds has been invariably self-serving. The community sees this.

I have been told this violation of the public’s  trust is NOT, per se, corruption, but I have to disagree. The political capital Morgan reaps is a real thing.  Frequently, I have been contacted by people about Morgan coming into social functions, unannounced, with LET checks. After he makes an entrance, he turns over a check in exchange for envelopes of campaign contributions openly, in front of a room full of people.  Campaign contributions for LET funds. That, my friends, IS corruption. If Underhill does not see the problem with Morgan’s fiscal buffoonery, then he needs an ethics lesson.

Above all, the consensus is that Underhill somehow profits from the back room politics too.  Morgan became a millionaire on the public’s payroll. I suspect Underhill, a contractor/developer and his property appraiser bulldog of a wife, are manipulating things involving the valuation of real estate perhaps. The real puzzle is the facilitation of the Honorable Sheriff to sell his Crow Rd. properties to PCEnvy Technologies, a tech company owned by Underhill’s buddy, Steve Stillwell. What does a tech company do with slumlord properties??

But Captain Contrary will insist there is nothing there to see. Willie Junior said that too, about a pot of collard greens.

Can Someone Tell the Commissioner How Not to be a Dick?

In this day and age, it is pitiful that acting with civility and common sense is absent by politicians on social media. Those of us raised in the South had a mother with a shoe, paddle, switch or a backhand that prevented us from saying disrespectful things in public. The word “stupid” should never be uttered by an official to his constituency.  It seems obvious why.  People see that and the need to go to that level is a general lack of intelligence that glares through. More importantly, social media is a public forum. It is like having a bullhorn in your neighborhood. People who aren’t even involved become drawn into the public spectacle.

But even as I say this, there is one Escambia politico (GOB) who is probably uttering the barrages of hate-speak as I write this. I screenshot every time I see him denigrate people. My photo library is getting maxed out so I figured it was a good time to post the different things I have found.

I found a PNJ opinion piece that I thought was fascinating. I searched for the post it references.

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Below are 19 different screenshots of occasions where Underhill was flat out rude, a flat out bully or spewing with righteous indignation towards HIS CONSTITUENCY.

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In what world  is it ok that a professional representative have such contempt for people on a broad scale? Now please do not think this is a complete list. This is just what I pulled off my phone. I didn’t search for anything. I am sure there are more examples.

Hopefully the county commission is appalled by this malignant cancer who feigns concern for people he obviously doesn’t think that much of at all.

Maybe his fellow commissioners should get Underhill this:

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Entitlement & Hypocrisy

Doug Underhill never fails to prove every point I have ever made about him. He is a creature of habit and bad behavior. His latest battle is with Wilson Robertson, ex-BOCC member who spoke out against Underhill getting county assistance to fend off his attitude. Wilson told the PNJ that he was opposed to this move because the statements were made outside BOCC normal business and before Doug himself was in a seat on that board. Why should the county pay?

Doug’s witty retort: Look at Wilson’s ethics. WHAT? Is that really an argument or even a logical defense?

Strangely enough, Dougie posted this:5674680555143168

In the post he mentions another poster he personally has, the Logical Fallacies poster.  Now this is curious because one of the fallacies is this:

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This is Dougie’s FAVORITE LOGICAL FALLACY as he consistently does it. If you don’t have a rebuttal or excuse, discredit the person bringing the message. He did this to Scott Miller,  Mark Clabaugh on ECW in one post a number of times. If someone has ever been inaccurate, mistaken, misunderstood, (I mean EVER), then Dougie will drudge that up and use that as his shield. DEFLECTION OF THE REAL QUESTION.

For example:  Underhill claims the latest “mudslinging” effort by his “enemies proxy” boils down to people wondering why he pulled a building permit when he didn’t have a license. That’s what the documentation showed.

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Sunbiz.org shows he is a partner in the business

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Permits dept shows, Dougie pulled permit

Sat Sep 23 2017 18-00-40 GMT-0500
Occupational Licensing shows there was no license at the time of the permit.

It ended up being an internal error by the county but it was what the records show as it was. How is that mudslinging? Truth should never be considered licentious. 

 

That is a paper trail to a felony if it is reliable, as the county officials would have you think. For someone to say there is no crime, the documentation would reflect otherwise. The lay person would have done their due diligence if they provided this documentation to authorities in any other county. Especially with Mitch Ashford having been arrested for the very same issue.

Tate High School Athletic Director Arrested On Larceny And Fraud Charges

By Published:   Updated: 

News 5 has confirmed with Escambia County School District that Mitch Ashford has been arrested on larceny and fraud charges.

No word yet on the extent of those charges.

Mitch Ashford

Just 2 months later, the charges were dropped. Likely this was a benign error but Ashford was arrested, booked and put into the system for said error.  No news channel reported on the dismissal.

Underhill claims he is anti-GOB, but he couldn’t get arrested by Morgan if he butchered someone in front of the entire city. Wouldn’t that make him GOB too? Going back to the PNJ article, Underhill bemoans his legal woes and his civil servant’s salary.  He says:

My net worth goes down every year I serve…..If you become richer every year you’re in public office, I think you’re doing it wrong.

AHHHHHHMMMMM….

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I know there are 2 years here that show slight losses in net worth and believe me I cannot find what went down.  But over the years Sir David has gone from being worth $266K to $1.2 million. Now Underhill has not shown that kind of wealth inflation, however for just making $77K, how does he afford a home that is almost half a million dollars….on the river. Not mention the vehicles, (ie boat, RV) etc.6201063425441792.png

Dougie is in financial straits but the real issue is that Dougie simply should not be slandering anyone else; it seems he runs his mouth and then cries because he gets sued.

The First Domino Falls

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To my great shock, the BOCC denied the increased millage which Sir David tried to shove down their throats. The most amazing thing is how verbally they expressed their contempt for the Sheriff’s tactics. Each of them, except for Underling, spoke to the press push that Morgan tried to use to get his way.  Underhill was the lone dissident vote, not surprisingly.

The issue here is not the raises for deputies; the issue is why Morgan hasn’t made it a priority. In April alone, Morgan gave away $35K to Underhill’s pet projects.  Assuming the starting salary of $35K, Morgan could have used the money he gave away to fund the Sheriff’s portion of 2 SRO’s–not to mention $5K to Pensacola Opera, $20K to PACE Center for Girls, $20K for Panhandle Charitable Open. That’s another $45K that could go to 2 1/2 more SRO’s salaries. While no one is saying these charities aren’t worthy (the opera is questionable), Morgan is spending money on all these things INSTEAD OF SRO’S.

The most ironic part is the article I found that Sir David wrote:

The pre-elected Morgan seems much more honorable and reasonable than the drastic contrast of the 3 term sheriff. It is funny when I was talking to people about what was going on in the county, I used the word “corruption” and I was told, “No, I wouldn’t say corruption; it is just the ‘good ole boy system'”.  By not using the word, it was like it was somewhat better than what it is. It is power that corrupts and we see this demonstrated in front of us with this article from several years ago and the issues of today. The budget has always been a point of contention for the Sheriff’s office and BOCC. But the tactics of this Sheriff are sophomoric and not in good faith. Good faith isn’t a concept 3-term Morgan knows at all.